Daily Cal: Quarterbacks to Meet Again in Opener

Hailing From the Same Area, Longshore and Carpenter to Reunite as Cal Hosts Arizona State

BY Steven Dunst

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter played football at Westlake High, only a hop, skip and a jump from Canyon Country, where Cal quarterback Nate Longshore was groomed.   The two got to know each other as teammates in the Cal-Florida Bowl, a high school all-star game. They were the top two quarterbacks on the California squad.  The two friends will meet again Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, this time as opposing starting quarterbacks to open Pac-10 play.  "I love watching him, the way he makes throws look so easy," Longshore said of Carpenter. "He can make throws with his body being in all different types of positions. He has some gifts."   Besides natural talent and similar roots, the two signal-callers have something else in common: they both became starters after close position battles to start the season.  Carpenter's ascent was more controversial. Shortly after Sun Devils coach Dirk Koetter named senior Sam Keller starter, he reversed his decision and gave the job to Carpenter, allegedly under pressure from the athletic department and players on the team. Keller quickly transferred to Nebraska and ASU looked like a team divided.

Koetter insists that the decision to start Carpenter was his own.  "I'm going to do what's best for Arizona State whether players like it or not," he said.  The results have been positive thus far. The Sun Devils (3-0) have soundly defeated Northern Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, led by solid play from the defense.  But Koetter knows that traveling to Berkeley to face the Bears will be a different thing altogether.  "The bad news is Colorado isn't nearly the offensive team Cal is," Koetter said. "Cal is very solid in all phases. Experience, playmakers, they're physical, they have team speed, they're well-coached ... do you want me to go on?"  While ASU has not truly been tested yet, the Bears (2-1) have traded blows with Tennessee and Minnesota, recovering from the loss to the Volunteers with two blowout wins. But the Sun Devils might boast the most potent offensive attack of any Cal opponent so far, especially with Carpenter and All-American tight end Zach Miller leading the way in the passing game.

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